1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector of the type where a plug electrode is fitted into a receptacle electrode, and more particularly to a connector assembly in which a plug can reliably be pulled out of the connector by using air pressure without imposing a load on the connector or a board on which the connector is mounted.
2. Description of Related Art
In personal computers (PCs) and office automation (OA) equipment, a great number of connectors with an array of plugs (i.e., pins) have recently been employed. Such a plug array is used, for example, when electronic devices are connected to a device support circuit board or when an exchange circuit board for an upgrade is connected to a system circuit board. Normally, the plug array is provided in an electronic device or an exchange circuit board, while a receptacle array for receiving the plug array is provided in a device support circuit board or a system circuit board.
With an advancement in the performance and a reduction in the size of PCs or OA equipment, the dimensions of the plug are being reduced while the number of plugs and the density are increasing. As a result, the connector of the type where a plug array is connected to a receptacle array has several problems which need to be solved.
For example, an increase in the number of plugs results in an increase in the force required for inserting and pulling out the plugs. Particularly, a great force is required when a plug array is pulled out of a receptacle array. Therefore, in the case where excessive stress is produced in plugs, receptacles, an electronic device or circuit board on which these are mounted, or a circuit board on which plugs and receptacles are mounted, there is a possibility that they will be damaged. Therefore, for the connector in which the plug is connected to the receptacle, the pull-out operation must be easy without damaging the connector main body or the circuit board.
To facilitate the connection and disconnection between the plug and the receptacle, a method of using a connector incorporated with an auxiliary tool has been proposed. The conventional connector with the auxiliary tool, however, is unsuitable for the environment where an array of high-density plugs is used. Of course, such a connector with an auxiliary tool must not require a large space and it must not be so expensive that the connector cannot be used.